DEFENDING MALTA 100 YEARS OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE
March 2018 FLYPAST 65bombers, Ju 87 [Stukas] and Ju 88s,
and there was a lot of squirting [firing
the guns], carrying on for a while.
Sgt Broad got one ’88 destroyed and
an ’87 damaged. For once, the sky
seemed to be full of friendly aircraft.
There were Spitfires everywhere.
“Plt Off Noble, flying a Spitfire
for the first time, was unfortunately
jumped by a very nasty Me 109 and
managed to crash-land at Takali: Ron
got a couple of pieces of ‘Jerry’ lead in
his carcass but these injuries were only
superficial. Sgt Tony Boyd, also flying
a Spitfire for the first time, squirted at
the odd ‘Hun’ but did not make any
claims.
SWIMMING PRACTICE
“The second scramble took place
at 4.30pm. Five aircraft took part,
led by Flt Lt Lawrence. It is with
much regret that we have to record
the death of Sgt Gordon Tweedale.
An Australian, Tweedale was one
of our best pilots and of late had
been putting up a marvellous show.
Everyone in the squadron feels
‘Tweedle’s’ loss deeply.
“During this show, the boys,
although scrambled a little late, got
right in amongst the bombers again
and ‘took heavy toll of the enemy’ as
the BBC [radio] would put it.
“This was the last scramble of theday – and what a day. For once, we
had the chance to pay off a lot of old
scores and give the ‘Jerry’ pilots a
really bad scare.
“As far as can be ascertained, many
Germans and Italians put in quite
a bit of swimming practice for the
next Olympic games. When we have
settled this little argument as to who
rules the world, if we are beaten in
the aquatic events at the Olympics
by Germany or Italy, the blame may
be laid on the fighter pilots of Malta,
who gave [them] so much useful
practice.”
Tweedale, who had been another
diarist, was shot down in his first
sortie in a Spitfire. He was still
in his aircraft when it crashed at
Lija, killing a passer-by, Gunner
Seraphim Cauchi of the Royal Malta
Artillery. The scarred wall of aLeft
Personnel of 185
Squadron, August 15,- Back row, left
to right: Plt Off Philip
M Allardice, Sgts
Arnold W Jolly, T E
J Ream, C S Hunton,
Johnny Alderson, A J
‘Jimmy’ Forth, Ernest
G Knight, Brian Hayes
and ‘Horsey’. Middle
row, left to right: Plt
Off R M Oliver, Sgt
Trevor H Bates, Plt Off
G G ‘Gay’ Bailey, Sgts
R A ‘Dicky’ Cousens,
Peter Lillywhite and
J R Sutherland, Plt
Off A J ‘Tony’ Reeves,
Sgts W F Nurse and
Vardy. Front row, left
to right: Flt Lts S A D
Pike and Charles G
St D Jeffries, Sqn Ldr
P W O ‘Boy’ Mould,
Flt Lt N P W ‘Pat’
Hancock and Plt Off
Peter D Thompson.
“For once, the sky seemed to be full of
friendly aircraft. There were Spitfi res
everywhere”
day – and what a day. For once, we
had the chance to pay off a lot of oldAbove
A Bf 109 during a
low-level strafi ng
attack on Hal Far.